U.S. peanut production is on track to be the second largest ever. Cotton production ticked up but remains well below last year’s level, and soybean farmers planted their largest acreage ever, according to the USDA September Crop Production Report released Sept. 11.

U.S. peanut farmers planted 1.62 million acres and expect to harvest 1.58 million acres. Average yield is pegged at 3,996 pounds per acre, up 46 pounds from the August report. This average pushes expected total production to 3.16 million tons. This will be the second-largest production behind only the 2012 production of 3.35 million tons from the 1.63 million acres planted that year.

Georgia peanut farmers planted 790,000 acres and expect to harvest 780,000 acres with a 4,400-pound-per-acre average, 200 pounds higher than predicted just last month. Georgia peanut farmers will produce 1.7 million tons, or half of the total U.S. production in 2015.

All cotton production is forecast at 13.4 million 480-pound bales, up 3 percent from the August forecast but down 18 percent from 2014. Yield is expected to average 789 pounds per harvested acre, down 6 percent from last year. Upland cotton production is forecast at 13 million 480-pound bales, down 18 percent from 2014. Pima cotton production, forecast at 451,000 bales, is down 20 percent from last year.

Soybean production is forecast at 3.94 billion bushels, up slightly from August but down 1 percent from last year. Based on September 1 conditions, yields are expected to average 47.1 bushels per acre, up 0.2 bushel from last month but down 0.7 bushel from last year. Area for harvest in the United States is forecast at a record 83.5 million acres, unchanged from August but up less than 1 percent from 2014, according to the September report.

Corn production is forecast at 13.6 billion bushels, down 4 percent from last year's record production and down less than 1 percent from the August forecast. Based on conditions as of September 1, yields are expected to average 167.5 bushels per acre, down 1.3 bushels from the August forecast and down 3.5 bushels from 2014, according to the report. If realized, this will be the second highest yield and third largest production on record for the United States. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 81.1 million acres, unchanged from the August forecast but down 2 percent from 2014.

Southeast states report

Kentucky corn is forecast at 224 million bushels, down 1 percent from the previous crop. Yield is estimated at 172 bushels per acre, up 2 bushels from last month and up 14 bushels from 2014. This will be the highest yield on record for Kentucky. Acres for harvest as grain were estimated at 1.30 million acres, down 130,000 acres from 2014. Soybean production is forecast at 92 million bushels, up 10 percent from 2014. This will be the largest soybean crop on record for Kentucky. Yield was estimated at 50 bushels per acre, up 2 bushels from a year ago. If realized, yield will equal 2013 for the highest yield on record. Acreage for harvest as beans was estimated at 1.84 million acres, up 90,000 acres from the previous year.

Alabama corn is forecast at 34.6 million bushels, down 24 percent from 2014. Cotton acreage is revised up to 315,000 planted and 312,000 harvested with production forecasted at 560,000 bales, down 14 percent from 2014. Peanut acreage is revised down to 200,000 planted and 197,000 harvested with production forecasted at 709 million pounds, up 28 percent from 2014. Soybean production at 19.7 million bushels is up 4 percent from last year.

Florida cotton acreage is unchanged at 85,000 planted and 83,000 harvested withproduction forecasted at 130,000 bales, down 32 percent from 2014. Peanut acreage is revised up to 185,000 planted and 172,000 harvested with production forecasted at 619million pounds, down 7 percent from 2014.

Georgia corn for grain production is forecast at 48.8 million bushels, down 7 percent from 2014. If realized, yield at 184 bushels per acre will be a record high. Cotton acreage is revised up to 1,120,000 planted and 1,110,000 harvested with production forecasted at 2,200,000 bales, down 14 percent from 2014. Soybeans production at 15.2 million bushels is up 31 percent from last year. If realized, yield at 44 bushels per acre will be a record high.

South Carolina corn is forecast at 27.8 million bushels, down 15 percent from 2014. Cotton acreage is revised down to 235,000 planted and 232,000 harvested with production at 420,000 bales, down 20 percent from 2014. Peanut acreage is revised down to 113,000 planted and 108,000 harvested with production forecasted at 367.2 million pounds, down 11 percent from 2014. Soybeans production at 11.9 million bushels is down 23 percent from last year.